Welcome to the #BeadPeepsSwap N Hop!!
Wooooweeeee! What an INCREDIBLE few months!Just to recap:
As the hostess, it was something I've never done before and it was certainly an adventure for me. But more on that another day. The task at hand is - soooo....what'd ya make?
Lemme introduce my partners again:
Because I was the hostess, when I was finished matching everyone I had 1 gal left over. So, I took her as an extra partner - and boy am I glad I did!I had Marica of Bead Lovelies who happens to live in Malta. (An island nation off the coast of Sicily) She creates polymer clay components and makes beautiful jewelry!
You can find her here, too:
http://www.facebook.com/beadlovelies
http://pinterest.com/beadlovelies
http://www.etsy.com/shop/beadlovelies
Blog: http://beadlovelies.com
AND
Jessica lives in Alaska. She has a family of 6 children (#6 was born during the challenge!) and they are gold miners. She is a lampworker, metal worker and jewelry designer.Here's what we went sent each other:
(Please note: You may click on any photo to enlarge it)From Marica:
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| A sampling of the beads she sent + some suede cording |
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| Yeah - these went into the "Private Collection" |
To Marica:
From Jessica:
To Jessica:
Here are the final pieces:
Piece #1This is the first piece I made of the 3. This was a real struggle AND triumph for me. So, as the hostess, I had a REALLY good reason for choosing Marica.... while we both have outstanding personalities and can really mess with each other in good fun, we have VERY different styles. She's earthy and clay-y, while I'm more....Rainbow Bright. So, while I figured she'd be a *fun* partner, I knew it'd be a SERIOUS challenge for me. (I had *NO IDEA* how much of a challenge I'd face!)
Being someone who works in bright colors, opening my package to see brown, copper, tan and khaki with a pinch of gold and green thrown in - nearly made me cry. What the flim-flam would I do with THAT?!?!
I sat on it - for a looooong time. I'd pull them out.... mix and match this and that....put them away. I'd pull them out....mix and match this and that.....put them away. You get the idea. I consulted friends, who offered great suggestions! I just couldn't get "into" it. (I realized I was trying to match the accent gorgeous seafoam green accent color on the tiki - nearly impossible when you're purchasing online) Until one day, it finally hit me!
Tiki's are typically found around beaches...... how's about some amazonite? JACKPOT! I pulled those babies out, put them with the STUNNING little copper, fire polish beads Marica had sent and WHAM! I have a piece! Except. It's heavy. REALLY heavy - both in physical weight and in visual weight. Curses!
So, I kept the 1 side of the amazonite and started playing with the other goodies she sent me, including the little jaspers and glass bicones. The lampwork beads added just enough visual weight to make it PERFECTION! (there were a few other iterations as well, but I won't bore you with the details) DINGDINGDING We HAVE A WINNER! So, now you see..... piece #1. (And I pretty much LOVE IT!)
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| Asymmetric piece with Marica's Tiki head |
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| Details (Click to enlarge) |
I REALLY wanted to use some more of the beads Marica had sent. She sent quite a large bag of the little round jaspers. So, I set out to make a multistrand piece - mostly because they are beautiful and frankly - a challenge. I played and played and played. I didn't want the spacers to be all copper, since the other piece I made was all copper - so I pulled out some seed beads (gasp!) that were a free gift, in all different metals and alternated them. It gave the piece mixed metals, and added a little drama.
I used one of the clasps that she had sent (which I think is tre-chic!) in the leaf shape. So, I wanted something that would compliment it, on the other side. The acorn was a piece I had in my stash and thought it went really well with the leaf shape of the other clasp, so the acorn it was (hey - kinda earthy - huh?). And yes - you can detach the necklace part and use as a bracelet. BOOM!
Jessica's Piece!
Jessica's package was also, quite a challenge for me. I had chosen Jessica for several reasons...1. I thought it was AMAZING that she lives in Alaska 2. We have a very common thread of faith that runs through us 3. She just seemed like a sweetly cool chick.
As I mentioned earlier, Jessica is a metal smith, lampworker and dabbles in many other things that have to do with fire. I was QUITE excited when my package arrived from Alaska. So VERY cool!
I think my largest challenges with this package was that it's asymmetric (as we have seen earlier, I've not done anything like that before) and featured both opaque AND transparent glass. It's tough to mix the 2 different types and get a great result. SO, I had to figure out something that would speak to both the opaque heavy and the transparent lightness.
I thought long and hard about this one. I had this idea to use some of the connection pieces that I've started making, and see if somehow I could tie everything together with them. SHOCKINGLY, I had already purchased the colors that happened to be in her piece! So, I set out to make different shapes and sizes that would compliment and tie the shapes and colors together. Each is hand painted (including the flowers to mimic her piece), hand resined and I punched the pieces with my new handy-dandy itty bitty hole puncher. I've never made a piece like this and I've NEVER made (or used) a 3 way connector before.
I'm REALLY proud of this piece and LOVE how it came out!
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| Jessica MADE the focal bead |
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| The whole piece |
Overall - I'm SO PROUD of myself for rising to the challenges. One thing, that's been REALLY important to ME with these challenges, is that I learn something new with each one. I feel like I'm robbing myself of the experience, if I don't do something new to me. Beyond that, it helps me to feel comfortable trying something out of the box and not being afraid to fail and try again. THAT is why I love challenges like this. You NEVER know what you're going to learn and how you're going to be stretched.
I pray that the rest of you pushed yourselves, tried something new, branched out and that most of all - you had a GREAT experience! THANK YOU for playing along with me! See you next winter for Round #2! Don't forget to check out your partner's blog and comment on it! =)
Your Fearless Leader!,
Linda
Check out all my friends who participated!
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LOVE the third piece, those connectors you made work really well with hers. And that second piece! So.so.cute. and it's doing double duty!
ReplyDeleteOMG I absolutely LOVE what you did with the tiki partner :-) Pure perfection. Not in a million years would I have thought to use it like that. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteMe thinks that you were born to do asymmetric and didn't know it :-)
What a great idea to make a convertible piece with that clasp. Love it love it love it. The color combo on that one is divine.
And the final piece, WOW! The colors are out of this world beautiful. And it looks like your lovely components were made for that focal. Great job!
So happy that you got to try new things. You rose to the challenge beautifully my friend. So very proud of you.
I could finish commenting without thanking you for organizing this wonderful challenge. I have no idea how one can do such a big event and remain sane haha Bravo! I must say that from all the blog hops I've come across this was the most well organized of them all. Well done!
Marica
Hi Linda, First let me say thank you for being a great hostess. This event was lots of fun. The amazonite that you chose to go with the Tiki head was the perfect choice. Piece number2 is way cool for being able to wear it two way. I like how you put the colors together in this one. Kudos to you for trying new things in this challenge. The third necklace is bright and beautiful. I agree that stretching ourselves is what these challenges are all about. Good job.
ReplyDeleteOoh Linda I love all your pieces. Awesome. Thank you so much for hosting, you rock!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a fantastic host and organizing this challenge, its a lot of fun. Your pieces are gorgeous esp the connectors. Are they enamelled? I have never seen anything like it before
ReplyDeleteYou did an amazing job - as hostess and as a jewelry designer!! THANK YOU for helping make this year happen!! :) ~KM
ReplyDeleteOh, Linda, thank you for hosting the hop. I had a great time ad felt both challenged and blessed by the partner you picked for me. I love tikis. They are just awesome. Jessicas lamp work is very good also. Lucky you
ReplyDeleteThanks for organizing this little virtual party. You've done a great job, for you first time, or any time. I'm glad you finally found the right stones to go with the tiki head. I knew you'd get there. If you can work with baby food orange, you can do anything. Well done all around.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda, for putting this swap together! I love what you did with the tiki head piece. I would have been befuddled with a focal like that, but you figured it out and it looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking on this huge event! I'm glad I was able to join everyone in this big swap. Love that you were able to challenge yourself. That is what it is all about, working with something that you didn't pick out. You did a great job!
ReplyDeleteGreat pieces Linda, you really rose to the challenge didn't you! And thank you for a fabulous Swap'n'Hop, I've really enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteOh, Linda, I am so glad that Marica really pushed your "switch" button and got you to using the earthy colors! See what a good job you did with them? Don't you want to use more? LOL. anyhow, I guess my fav of all 3 is the convertible piece. It's earthy and can be made into the bracelet and I love the combo of color and the clasp. Thanks again for organizing this and working yourself cross-eyed to make it all happen. You are my first stop. Now, off to my partners then yours. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteHey Linda, you are a superstar, thanks for organizing this challenge and blog hop! I like how you pushed your self to work outside your comfort zone. Your second necklace really Wows me, and even better that it converts to a bracelet.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for putting this swap and hop together. So much fun. I love all the pieces, but especially the double duo.
ReplyDeleteLinda, all your pieces are gorgeous. You sure rose to the challenging occasion and you have good reason to be proud of yourself. I love how you made them 'yours' from items that you felt are not so much 'you'. Thank you for hosting the swap, it is a great way to meet new artists and to push yourself beyond your own limits.
ReplyDeleteI love that tiki bead! The necklace that you made with it is perfect! It does it justice without being 'tribal'. The next necklace you made is brilliant! I love that you used two clasps AND that they are both different! They really set the necklace off and made it unique! I love side clasps anyway but that was sheer genius!
ReplyDeleteThe necklace you made from Jessica's beads is probably my favorite out of the three, even though I love the side clasps, I love the colors and the way you used them in the third piece. What a breath of Spring!
Hello Linda, huge thank you for hosting this hop .
ReplyDeleteI am loving the items you made with the gorgeous beads. I love how you balanced up your Tiki necklace visually, and the convertible necklace is stunning. Love the wonderful colours and design in you third necklace .
Wonderful post.xx
I like all of your pieces. But I really love your multi strand convertible necklace that transforms into a bracelet as well. Thank you for hosting this wonderful experience!
ReplyDeleteI love what you did with the totem head! That necklace is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI also love the necklace that is also a bracelet! So inventive! I wish I thought to do something like that! It's so cool! You're gonna revolutionize the jewelry industry!
Thanks for being awesome!
Rachel
Wonderful, gorgeous, fantastic designs! You nailed the asymmetrical designs perfectly and really did a fantastic job facing all your challenges. Thanks so much for bringing all of us together...it's been great fun! See you this winter :)
ReplyDeleteHi Linda! My favourite part of this swap is having a partner push one's limits to outside of their box! Awesome job of working beyond your comfort zone! You managed that fabulously! I love the convertible necklace/bracelet idea - so cool :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting the Swap and for the awesome job of partnering everyone up - a truly monumental task!
You had a lot to work with and did a great job with all
ReplyDeleteReally nice pieces and I love how you went out of your comfort zone especially love the necklace that can be converted. Thanks for hosting the swap
ReplyDeleteHow pretty your pieces are! I love everything you created.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting this great Swap n hop challenge Linda ,I have really enjoyed it!
Beautiful pieces, Linda.
ReplyDeleteYou used pieces that might not have been something you would choose but you still managed to use them and also stay true to your own individual style. I love the necklace that becomes a bracelet... brilliant. I think that multi-use of everything is the way of the future to help us downsize and own fewer possessions. I don't think that applies to beads though! LOL
Well Linda, you can relax now. I can assure you that this blog hop is a huge success and that's down to you. You did a great job as hostess and you deserve to feel very proud! Thank you!!
Well done. Now you can breathe!😊
ReplyDeleteOh Linda they are all so lovely! The Asymmetric necklace is my favourite.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being such a fabulous hostess, this challenge has been so much fun and I have made a lovely new friend in Rosantia, my swap partner. You should be really proud! You are amazing!
Very nice job and the two strand with double closure is my favorite .
ReplyDeleteI really love the third piece you made, but they are ALL gorgeous. I love how you challenged yourself! ^_^
ReplyDeleteThis was a blast to do, thank you so much!!!
~Andrea
So beautiful and colorful. I have to say the 2 stand necklace is my fav. Thanks for hosting this swap and hop.
ReplyDeleteLinda-You did a great job organizing this blog hop. I know it is a lot of work and you pulled it off beautifully. I am glad you were able to make so many wonderful pieces with what you received.
ReplyDeleteI had a great time even though I am still waiting for my beads. I know that they will come and I will love them. I got so much enjoyment seeing how Claire met my challenge.
Thanks again!
What great Swaps you had. I love the multi-strand necklace the best but the other pieces are cool too! Great job!
ReplyDeleteSo much cuteness! The brown Tiki-inspired is adorable, and the colors on the second are fantastic!
ReplyDeleteWonderful pieces! I am really impressed by everything you made--especially since you said it was a challenge for you! You certainly wouldn't think it, looking at what you made! Beautiful! Thank you so much for all of your hard work organizing this hop--it was a great deal of fun! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Linda... well done... nice job with all your pieces!Love the one with the side closure P.S. I finally figured out where the list was and how to cut & past.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the wonderful job you did hosting this swap and hop. All your timely directions and helpful hints made it so easy to follow along.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely had on your designer cap in these creations. Love the fact that #2 could be worn as a bracelet !
I love Asymetrical and you had wonderful colors to work with. Beautiful pieces all.
ReplyDeleteI can't possibly pick a favorite here. All such colorful and unique pieces but the Mua ha ha bead is my favorite! LOL. So fun and great selections.
ReplyDeleteIt takes the eye of an artist to choose the right beads among so many - you have found the right combo and balance for each piece. I really admire how you handled the Tiki - I get stumped in front of "human" beads.
ReplyDeleteThose are Awesome designs Linda!!! Love the designs and the texture! The Necklace to Bracelet combo is Wonderful!!! Thank you so much doing such an amazing job on the hop and in your own designs!!! Be Blessed!
ReplyDeleteGreat combos!!!!
ReplyDeleteCan't say much more because it's just.....
GREAT!!! :)
Wow, what eye candy. I love the multi-strand necklace! Thanks for hosting. It's been a blast. I worked with pink, and for the first time ever, loved the result. Thank you for that.
ReplyDeleteAll of your pieces are great but I really love the versatile multi strand necklace. I live the total mix of beads. They work so well together!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this fun hop. Necklace number 2 was my favorite. Very very beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI think your designs just keep getting better and better! I LOVE the tiki head necklace! Asymmetric is difficult for me - your design just works!
ReplyDelete